Improved window and door fastener



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicEo L. C. BIGNALL, OF LOCKPORT, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED WINDOW AND DOOR FASTENER-- Specification forming part ot' Letters Patent Nc. 422,321, dated May 31, 1864.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, L. C. BIGNALL, ofLockport, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Vindow and Door Fasteners; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the ae eonnpanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure l is a perspective view of my iinproved fastener withthe blades shut, in the condition to be carried in the pocket; Fig. 2, a view of the saine as applied to a window; Fig. 3, a view of the same as applied to a door; Fig. 4, a perspective view ofthe stop pin.

Likeletters of reference indicate correspond ing parts in all the figures.

My improved device is a portable instrument, intended both for fastening windows and doors, being applied in the former case to the sash in one of the grooves in which the sash works, and in the latter ease in the crack between the edge of' the door andthe seat in which it rests.

In general form the instrument somewhat resembles an ordina-ry pocket-knife, being composed of a handle, A, and two, three, or more blades, B B B, turning on a pivot, a, and shutting into the handle. Each of these two elements composing the device has, however, a characteristic that distinguishes it from a knife, viz the handle at its minor end is made wedging, as represented at b, and the blades are made of gradually-decreasiug length, as clearly shown. The blades are ally made pointed, with the exception of the longest one, which is provided with a right-angled nib or projection, c, knife-edged or pointed, and of suitable size, and whose use will presently be described.

The blades are all provided with holes 7s k, coincidenti y and at suitable distance apart, for the insertion of a simple stop-pin, t', which is used in fastening doors.

Zhen the insti ument is used as a windowfastener, as representedvin Fig. 2, its position is in the groove C of the casing, in which the sash D rests. The wedging end b of the handle is pressed down on one side or the other into the crack between the sash and casing,

and one or more of the blades is braced angularl y across the groove with its point resting on the opposite side.

By the employment of a set of blades of different lengths it is manifest that the device is adapted to use in grooves of diEt'erent widths, such as are necessary in windows of different sizes. A narrow groove would render a single blade too long, while a wide groove would render it too short. I remedy the diiiiculty by having a graduated set of blades that is adapted to any size of groove. Thus arranged it is apparent that if the sash is pressed upward in the direction of the arrows the wedge b will resist the movement, and the fastener itself will be prevented from being displaced by the angular brace-blade B. The principal strain comes on the wedgeI and not the blade,

and therefore the former secures an important i result, which could not be produced were the edge ofthe handle blunt. The instrument being thus fast at both ends, cannot easily be displaced. It is apparent that the upper sash may be held from moving down by bracingin the opposite direction, or that the device may be applied for holding the lower sash open at any position by placing the wedge under the sash, and bracing to the opposite side of the groove.

When used as a door-fastener, the long blade B is inserted in the crack IL, between the edge of the door E and its seat G, as represented in Fig. 3, and the door is then shut, thus pressing the nib or projection c into the side of the seat so as to hold firmly there. If the crack is too wide for a single blade to hold, one or more of the other blades are opened,

side by side with the first, thus adapting the thickness of the blades to that of the crack,

and fitting the device to different doors. When thus arranged, the stop pin 'i is inserted in any one of the set ot' holes lc lr, and secures the door as firmly as any ordinary lock or bolt. When thus inserted, the stop-pin also serves the additional purpose of holding the blades together. The advantage of this combined arran gem entis obvious. It is equally applicable to windows or doors, and is adapted to different sizes or conditions ot the same. The

blades B B, by being of different len gt-hs, are adapted to ditierent-sized grooves in the win dows, and by furnishingseveral thicknesses are also adapted to different Widths of the eraeks in doors. I am not aware that any device combining this double advantage has ever before been known. When the blades are closed, the instrument is in a compact and convenient form to be carried in the pocket, and is thus always at hand, in traveling, to apply to a door or Window. l

Vhat I elainias my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

J The combination ofthe handle A,provided with the wedgin g end b, and the several blades B B' B of graduated length, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. In combination with the Wedge-handle A and graduated blades B B B, (one of which is provided With the nib 0,) the holes 7c and stop-pin i, substantially as and i'or the purpose herei specified.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oi' two subscribing witnesses.

L. C. BIGNALL.

Yitnesses A. F. BROWN, W. E. WA'rfrERs. 

